Closer
by CowsLovePennies
Summary: Obiwan thinks that he and Anakin need a stronger bond. Anakin thinks his master is insane and the Temple simply won't buy it. Put it to a bet....
1. Prologue

Disclaimer- If we had created Star Wars, well, we'd be able to pay each other a lot more to be friends. Still, thank you George Lucas!

Authors' note- So here it is, the first chapter of our second story. Sorry for the length, but it's sorta the prologue so we just wanted to establish what we were going to write. Thanks again to anyone who has read An Unexpected Guest! We positively love you and we hope you like this one as well!

Reposted June 17, 2007

Re-reposted April 15, 2008

Closer

Prologue

It started with a conversation. A conversation so random and so completely dumb. A discussion with a distinct air of unimportance. A talk that only occurred for the sake of talking. What could it really amount to, this conversation – about nothing really – between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-wan Kenobi on a single, tired, uneventful night in the Jedi Temple?

Anakin was exhausted. After hours of sparring with his master, he was utterly dead on his feet. Unwilling to dredge up the energy necessary to carry him to his room, he threw himself onto the couch in his and Obi-wan's quarters, fully prepared to fall asleep right then and there.

Obi-wan, however, felt none of his young apprentice's weariness. In fact, he instead felt an unusual need to _do _something or _talk_ to someone. Pushing away the thought that such a feeling was strictly not jedi-like, he plopped down in one jarring movement to sit beside his padawan. Anakin refused to move. Obi-wan Kenobi may be his master, but there was no way – _no way_ – he was going to move from this spot, or recognize the older man's presence, or even speak a word. Unless….

"Anakin, do you think we're close enough?"

"W-what?" Anakin yawned with disinterested drowsiness.

"Do you think we're close enough?" Obi-wan repeated seriously. "You know, do we talk enough? Do we do enough? Do you feel like we have a strong bond?"

"Obi-wan, what in the galaxy are you talking about?" Anakin asked, silently cursing the other man for choosing this particular moment to be unintelligible and inquisitive.

"Well, for one thing, we just seem so distant. I've known you for at least nine years now and I still feel like I don't _know_ you."

"_Okay_," Anakin began awkwardly, "so what, uh, do you want to know then?"

"I don't know…." Obi-wan said thoughtfully, stroking his beard in that annoyingly pensive way that had become so typical of him. "We should hug more."

"Huh?" Anakin responded in unintelligent shock.

"There are so many masters and padawans that can hug each other. They have a stronger bond. I know I've never been much for physical indications of affection, but I think it might be nice. You know, bring us closer as a team."

"Obi-wan, I'm not going to hug you," said Anakin, apparently repulsed by the very thought. "It would be too weird … and we could never pull it off."

Obi-wan paused for a moment. "Why not?" he said.

"Because we're Obi-wan and Anakin, Kenobi and Skywalker. You're like my father, my brother, and friend. We're close, okay? We don't need to be any closer. It would just look weird."

"I don't think it would."

Anakin had to give the tiniest smirk at this. Shifting his tired body to face his master better, he said, "Fine, let's put it to a bet. I'll bet you that within one week of hugging and demonstrating what 'close friends' we are, half the Temple will be on us for 'attachments,' and 'relationships,' or whatever other nonsense they can come up with."

Obi-wan thought about this for a moment. "Alright, you're on," he spoke finally. "But only because I think you greatly misinterpret the rules of the Jedi. Physical attachments are forbidden, yes. But the Council would highly regard a healthy camaraderie and comfortable connection between master and padawan. Physical contact and a close relationship do not necessarily indicate a more than platonic relationship my young padawan," he finished with a self-satisfied grin. "So what do I get when I win?"

Anakin tried very hard not to roll his eyes at his master's complete inability to grasp the more obvious facts of life. The Council would definitely take notice if they went prancing around hugging all the time, and the rest of the Temple's inhabitants would surely be suspicious of their sudden need to have an even more "comfortable connection." He shook his head with a laugh and said, "You mean _if_ you win. _If_ you win I will, I dunno, cook dinner for a week?"

Obi-wan chuckled slightly and sighed. "I don't bet, Anakin," he said. "You know that. So if I'm going to do this, the stakes are going to have to be a lot higher than you serving me unrecognizable lumps of blackened food for an entire week."

"Okay fine," Anakin said, looking up at his master through tired eyes, "what would you like me to do?"

"Hmmm," Obi-wan began as he started pacing back and forth across the room. "It's got to be good, seeing as you _are_ wrong after all." Anakin couldn't help rolling his eyes this time. "And it should be embarrassing, something that you can learn from but that will still entertain me…. I know!" he exclaimed suddenly, causing Anakin to jump slightly out of surprise. "When you lose this bet, you must shave your entire head."

"What?" Anakin shouted in horror. "My head? My _entire_ head?"

"Yes, your entire head," said Obi-wan smartly. "With the exception of your braid, of course. You are still a padawan after all. So no hair, but keep the braid … I figure you'll resemble a much younger, much whiter, Mace Windu."

"That's ridiculous, Obi-wan!" said Anakin, a slight whine entering into his voice from both frustration and fatigue. "As unlikely as it is to happen, as unlikely as you are to win, it's still a ridiculous term. The entire Temple will gawk at me. How am I supposed to learn from that?" he grasped as an afterthought.

"Fine," Obi-wan said with a small, uncharacteristic smirk. "I did say it should be educational as well as entertaining. So in addition to the loss of your hair, if you should fail to prove to me that our closeness would be misconstrued in this Temple, you will have to meditate with me. Every day, for a week, without complaint."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Anakin yelped, suddenly quite awake.

"You act like meditating is the Dark Side itself young one. But those are my terms. You can either accept them or throw this whole thing out the window."

Anakin gazed up at Obi-wan with the most reluctant expression he could muster. "Fine," he said through gritted teeth. "I accept your terms." Obi-wan gave a curt nod of approval and Anakin continued. "Now, if I win, I want to switch our roles as master and padawan. It would be temporary of course – let's say a week – but you'd have to do anything and everything I tell you during that time."

"Anakin, that is absolutely preposterous," Obi-wan began, giving Anakin that look of exasperation he always reserved just for him. "The Council would never approve -"

"They really wouldn't approve of any of this, would they?" Anakin asked with a knowing smile. "Look, I understand that there are boundaries. We wouldn't do it during a mission or any other time that you absolutely needed to be in charge. And I wouldn't ask you to do anything big. It'd just be nice, you know, to not have to meditate for once. Think of the possibilities, Master."

Anakin waited while Obi-wan contemplated. "Alright," the Jedi Knight said slowly. "But there will be conditions, Anakin. I'm not going to stand by and let you make a mess of things…."

"What do you think I'm going to do, blow up the Temple?" Anakin asked in mock indignation.

"Yes, well, I wouldn't put it past you," muttered Obi-wan.

Anakin ignored the barely audible comment and instead extended his hand for the older man to shake. "Do we have a deal then?" he asked.

Obi-wan, with every indication of doing so against his better judgment, took his padawan's hand. "Deal."


	2. Day 1

Disclaimer- Found a penny today. Now if _we_ had created Star Wars, would that really be that exciting? Go George Lucas - it'll take us a few more years and a few more pennies to get as rich as you.

Thanks to: **padmenaberrie32- **Here's more. Thanks for reviewing (and sticking with us)!** Haraneo B.P. Wicked- **Thanks! We appreciate it. **KillinBuddy- **How can you not like Big Lots? They have earrings for like 99 cents.** ShadowCaster360- **Okay, we've given up trying to ask you, but you so have to be British. Thanks so much for sticking with us! Your reviews are awesome – and so British.** MMM73181- **Good inferences! Don't think they're right, but, uh, cool. **Remo Con- **Sorry we left you hanging. We won't do it again. Well, we might.** Alley Parker- **Well, you know, it could happen. Glad you like it!** QueenMeep- **We've never gone to a Wal-Mart at three, but Kings Soopers at eleven is interesting. Especially when you have a lightsaber fight in the toy aisle. Thanks, as always. **san01- **THANKS. AND WHY ARE WE YELLING? **Rono- **Wow, do we have a bald reviewer now? Sorry it took us so long….As always, you rock. Thanks for the review on An Unexpected Guest as well.** You wish- **Go you, you actually read it!** Taraum- **Uh, okay, we'll do that. As long as you try not to get stuck to a toilet in Home Depot.

**And as always, thanks to anyone reading!**

Closer

Day One

No deliberately attempting to sway the bet in your favor. No talking about said bet with anyone else, especially with a certain short, green Jedi Master. Hug. Be _close_. Be _friendly_. Anakin had had almost enough of this bet and its intricate guidelines before they'd even put it into motion. Lying in bed, gazing blankly up at the ceiling, he reviewed the details established the night before and waited in dread for the moment when he would have to rise and face the day.

It wasn't that he was worried that he wouldn't win – meditation and hairlessness aside, it really wouldn't be that bad – but he was rather more frightened that he would. He had a reputation to maintain, and nowhere in this reputation did it say anything about being in a relationship with his master. Sure, as a Jedi he supposed he should learn that the way others perceived him did not matter in comparison to who he actually was. But who he _was_ happened to be a young padawan on his way to becoming one of the best Jedi the Temple had ever seen. Or at least, that was his goal anyway.

The thought of what others would say this week was simply disturbing. He just knew that everyone would think he was gay, that Obi-wan's quest for a closer bond would be taken for some kind of sexual relationship or "coming out" display. He didn't have anything against homosexuals of course, but it just … wasn't him. Obi-wan was his master and his friend. And he, Anakin, was in love with a woman he hadn't seen in years; a beautiful woman with deep eyes and dark hair and a soft voice. Although no one could possibly know of his feelings for her, he couldn't bear to have others think that he could be in love with anyone else, especially with his rather male Jedi Master.

He sighed, turned over to bury his face in the soft blackness of his pillow and silently told himself that he would have to get over it. It was only a bet, one that he was determined to win. Any chance to prove Obi-wan wrong was a chance worth taking, regardless of the outcome.

"Anakin!" rang Obi-wan's too-cheerful morning voice from the kitchen.

It was only a bet.

* * *

After a few minutes of mental preparation, and a push from Obi-wan, Anakin set foot outside of their shared quarters and into the corridor beyond. Looking around nervously, he saw that the hall was completely empty for the time being. "Thank the Force for that," he muttered grimly to himself.

"Ah," Obi-wan began brightly, "well since we have the corridor to ourselves for the moment, do you think we should practice?"

"Practice?" Anakin asked incredulously. "Why should we do that?"

"So we're prepared to hug in front of people of course. We don't want it to be awkward, right? It needs to appear natural, like we do this sort of thing all the time."

Anakin considered this for a moment. That's all he needed, was for people to think that they really did hug each other all the time. Then again, he dully realized, that was _exactly_ what he needed for this bet. "Okay," he said, beginning to loathe the situation even more. "We'll hug. But only because I don't want it to be weird later."

"Good." Obi-wan said, positioning himself to face his padawan. "Now hug me."

Anakin watched as Obi-wan spread his arms open wide to embrace him and raised one eyebrow slightly. It was quite a spectacle, seeing his master standing in the middle of a hallway with his arms outstretched like some bizarre bird. He slowly approached the older man, trying to decide where exactly he should place his hands. Apparently he was taking too long, for after several minutes of arm waving and half-hearted lean-ins, Obi-wan sighed in exasperation and said, "Would you just do it already? Force, Anakin, you had a mother, right? Didn't you ever hug? Are you emotionally detached? Are you completely inept at showing a simple sign of kindness and affection?"

"Gah, shut _up_ already!" Anakin shouted before finally seizing the man and pulling him into a bone-crushing hug.

"Master, I think Skywalker is trying to kill Master Kenobi!" a voice rang out from behind Anakin. After releasing a stunned Obi-wan, Anakin turned on the spot just in time to see the horrified expression on the intruding padawan's face. The girl, whom Anakin had spoken with on only a few rare occasions, was staring at the two of them as though fearing for their sanity. Her master, an unfamiliar Nautolan, came to stand by her side and gave them a small, inquiring look.

"Just a hug," Obi-wan quickly gasped in reply. The two stood watching them for a few more painful moments before leaving without another word.

Obi-wan turned to Anakin, rubbing his ribs with a series of winces. "We're definitely going to have to work on that."

"Yeah," Anakin replied, emboldened and yet horrified at the same time, "but did you see the looks on their faces? I believe that is one point for me," he said with a smug look on his face that did not reflect his very conflicted thoughts.

Obi-wan scoffed. "That clearly does not count, Anakin. They thought you were killing me, not kissing me. We shall call that one a draw."

Anakin thought about this before replying. "Fine," he said grudgingly. "There's always next time I suppose…."

Obi-wan let out a small laugh. "Now then," he said, "we have a meeting with the Council in about an hour. What do you say we head down to the Gardens to meditate until then?"

"Only you would suggest that," Anakin said, following Obi-wan as he began walking in that general direction. "Is that all you ever think about, Master? Haven't you ever heard of just relaxing? What does meditation even really do? You just sit down and close your eyes. If you're going to be that useless, why not just stay home and watch the Holo-net?"

"I am very much looking forward to a week of meditation without your incessant complaints, padawan. You have absolutely no patience." Obi-wan sighed heavily. And then a slight smile began to form at the corner of his mouth. "Fine," he said, "if you would prefer a more stimulating activity, how about we practice hugging again in the Gardens? I would really like it if I didn't end this week quite so bruised."

"Sounds okay I guess," said Anakin, thinking that he would at least avoid being completely bored for an hour. "But what's this about me having no patience?" he continued indignantly. "I have plenty of patience I just, you know, express it differently. Qui-gon seemed to understand…."

Anakin glanced at his master as he said this and watched the nostalgia slowly spread across Obi-wan's face as they continued on their way toward the Gardens. "Now Qui-gon was one who liked to hug," said Obi-wan. "He was never afraid to be close to someone – you know, in a non-homosexual way. Too bad he had to die slowly and ask that I train such a non-hugger."

Anakin smiled at this. He knew Obi-wan found him intolerable at times, but their light-hearted banter only reminded him of how well the two ultimately got along as friends.

They arrived at the Gardens shortly and once again Anakin was relieved that the early hour provided them with solitude.

"Right," started Obi-wan, turning to Anakin as he had done earlier, " I think that perhaps I should try hugging you this time. It might be a little easier considering I am not quite so emotionally distant as you seem to be."

"Whatever," Anakin sighed, dimly acknowledging the fact that the most emotionally distant person he had ever met just called _him_ emotionally distant. "Just do it." He tried desperately not to grimace as Obi-wan leaned toward him and engulfed him in a friendly embrace. He patted Obi-wan's back awkwardly, unsure of what he was actually supposed to do. And then Obi-wan spoke.

"Your hair smells nice. What shampoo do you use?"

"Obi-wan, _ew_!" Anakin exclaimed in disgust, pushing the other man away. "Do not smell me, it's weird!"

Obi-wan looked genuinely perplexed. "What?" he asked. "It smells good! Obviously you don't use the same shampoo that I do and I was just trying to figure out -"

"Just stop," Anakin broke in.

"Alright, I'm sorry. If I'd known you were going to get so upset about it…. Would you just like to try again?"

Anakin hesitated momentarily before finally conceding. "Okay."

This hug proceeded relatively well. It was certainly less uncomfortable than the other two anyway. Anakin started to think that maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. He could handle this, really. Not too much touching, arms and hands in appropriate places, faces a comfortable distance apart. But then there was that odd sound….

"Obi-wan, are you sniffing?"

Obi-wan pulled back slightly to look at his padawan. "Well seriously, what is that smell?"

"Okay, that's it!" Anakin said, stepping away from his master. "I think we've had enough practice. Let's just head up to the meeting now."

Sensing that his padawan was growing more irritable by the minute, Obi-wan resignedly let Anakin lead the way.

* * *

Anakin had no idea what Master Yoda was talking about. They had been speaking with the Council for at least a half an hour and his attention to the conversation had dissipated about fifteen minutes ago. Luckily his shields were strong and he was able to zone out freely – gazing at the weird shape of Ki-Adi-Mundi's head – without the masters being any the wiser. He hoped fleetingly that they weren't talking about anything too important.

_It almost looks like a volcano_, the padawan thought to himself, not taking his eyes from the domed head before him. _With the hair sprouting from the very top like that_…. _And those wrinkles – you could almost find pictures in his face_….

"Anakin?" a voice suddenly broke through his haze of thoughts.

"Huh?"

"Skywalker!"

Anakin snapped back to reality with an abrupt start. All eyes in the room were upon him.

"My apologies Masters," he said quickly. "I was just … thinking."

"Well," Master Windu began impatiently, "do you think this is a task you would be willing to take on with your master?"

Having absolutely no clue what was going on, Anakin merely replied, "Uh, sure."

"Settled, it is then," Yoda spoke, seemingly satisfied. "Appreciate this, the Council does."

Anakin stole a glance at Obi-wan and saw that the man was grinning broadly. _So apparently it isn't a_ bad _thing_.

The two bowed respectfully and then turned to leave. Without any warning, Obi-wan pulled Anakin into a tight, one-armed hug.

"Force!" Anakin yelped out of surprise, jumping back and tripping over his cloak as he did so. He landed sprawled out on his back in the middle of the room with a dozen pairs of curious eyes turned his way. Whatever the task was, it had to be better than this bet.


	3. Day 2

Disclaimer- What fun would it be to _actually_ create Star Wars when you can write pointless, albeit humorous, stuff like this?

Thanks to: **elphabathedelirious- **Because your name wasn't already hard enough to make out? Fine…. Anyway, thanks as always for the awesome review, and Jodi Picoult is amazing. I took your advice and read two of her books. I'm reviewing The Tenth Circle for the next issue of the school paper. Always open to more suggestions. **Haraneo B.P. Wicked- **We love to make people fall off their chairs! We also seem to have a talent for making people choke on drinks too, but that's a different story**. KillinBuddy- **Lobsters in a bucket can't get out sometimes. **MMM73181- **Okay!** Alley Parker- **Yeah, about that … oops. Thank you for the review!** QueenMeep- **You rock a lot. We always enjoy your wonderful support. Thanks! **san01- **THANK YOU! WE'RE GETTING USED TO YELLING NOW.** Rono- **We love you, that was such a great review. Lauren would give you a hug if she wasn't so emotionally distant.** Taraum- **Yay, thank you.** Jedi Master Arie Skywalker-** Okay, thanks. **master of random disaster**- Yeah, you're wrong, but good try! **DragonRidingSorceress- **Thanks for the recommendation, we'll check them out! **Mercutio Archer- **Well, we absolutely love that you review our story. You are funny, crazy, a tiny bit scary, and we love you for it. But we just have to say, and Lauren in particular would like to emphasize, who the hell listens to P!ATD? Put in some Nine Inch Nails. Closer. It's a good song.

Closer

Day Two

A stream of soft sunlight fell across Anakin's face as he slept. The golden light filtered through his closed eyelids, causing him to squint slightly and start to wake. He rolled over and opened his eyes, sighing and surveying the wall just opposite him. It was a few minutes before he remembered the events of the day before – that's when it became slightly harder to breathe.

He had no idea a bet could be so stressful, much less after only one day. He had grown up on Tatooine, a place so riddled with betting and gambling that it was impossible not to be accustomed to such things. His freedom was even won through a well-placed bet!

This wager with Obi-wan though…. Even though he had suggested it, he didn't think he could stand anymore of his master's incessant hugs. All throughout the remainder of the day after their meeting with the Council yesterday, Obi-wan had been surprising him with random, terrifying hugs. Out of nowhere the man would just grab him, embracing him with all the apparent joy of a close friend. It had gotten so that whenever Obi-wan would approach him within a certain proximity, Anakin would involuntarily pull back, often stumbling and running into walls or other people passing through the corridors.

He didn't know why the idea of being closer with his master was so awkward, so weird. He was certainly not "emotionally detached" as Obi-wan had put it, and he still couldn't believe that the man would have the nerve to say so considering he was about as emotional as a rock. A boring rock. With a beard.

Anakin needed time. He needed to just sit down and think, to get over himself and win this bet. He needed time _now_. Jumping out of bed and dressing quickly, he strode toward the door with the full intent of getting out of their apartment and avoiding Obi-wan for as long as it took him to get a grip on himself. He had taken two steps out of his room, however, when a leg stretched out before him, causing him to trip and land face down on the floor.

"Obi-wan – what?" he said, rolling over and looking at the man standing by the door with his arms folded across his chest.

"I could sense your freak-out all the way from the kitchen," said Obi-wan. "You should really be more mindful of your thoughts, Anakin." He bent down and offered his hand to Anakin, helping him to his feet.

"I-I was just, er …" Anakin managed to stumble.

"Save it," Obi-wan broke in simply. "You made this bet, and I assumed you'd be able to carry it out. You're too afraid – you always have been. For someone that can do so much, I would think that you could learn to control your fears. We have a lot to do today, so get over it, concentrate on the moment, and lose this bet so I can see you bald!"

Anakin didn't know what to say. He felt almost – _almost_ – guilty at Obi-wan's words. "Erm, okay?" he finally spoke.

Obi-wan stared at him incredulously for a moment before saying, "Okay."

"So, uh, what all are we doing today?" Anakin went on uncomfortably, attempting to change the subject as he started walking toward the kitchen.

"Well," sighed Obi-wan, following his padawan, "we have that job for the Council in twenty minutes, and then – "

"Yeah, about that," Anakin interrupted nervously, "remind me exactly what we're doing again…."

Obi-wan merely gazed at his apprentice and then said, "You were staring at Ki-Adi-Mundi's head again, weren't you?"

"No, I absolutely was n– okay, yes I was. It's just so _weird_."

"How do you expect to even qualify for the trials when you can't concentrate on a simple meeting?"

"I-I'll try harder," Anakin said, deflating under his master's stare.

Again Obi-wan just looked at his apprentice before beginning, "We leave in fifteen minutes to help clean the Temple. It's a service task the Council deemed appropriate for a prominent team like us."

"Clean the Temple?" Anakin asked, dumbfounded. "We've gone on how many missions, proven our skills more than adequate, and they want us to _clean the Temple_?"

"Your modesty never ceases to amaze me," said Obi-wan wryly. "The Council feels that lately the Temple's many inhabitants are disregarding the condition of their home. By setting us – two model Jedi – this assignment, they hope to encourage others to keep the place clean as well."

"That's absurd," Anakin commented petulantly.

"Well, you volunteered for it. Next time I'd suggest you take your nose out of Ki-Adi-Mundi's wrinkles and actually listen to what's going on if you don't want to end up cleaning. Now, what would you like for breakfast?"

Anakin just buried his head in his hands.

* * *

Fifteen minutes and a few pancakes later, Anakin and Obi-wan were ready to start their task. Accompanied by a broom, a mop and a couple of buckets full of soapy water and cleaning rags, they started down the hall.

"We look like idiots carrying all this stuff, Obi-wan," Anakin muttered, shooting furtive glances at the Jedi throughout the corridor who were all but staring at them as they passed.

"Stop whining, padawan," said Obi-wan. "You never know – you might find that you rather enjoy giving back to the Temple. And if all else fails, at least we'll be able to hug all day."

"So _embarrassing_," Anakin grumbled quietly. "How can you not be bothered by the fact that everyone is staring at us right now?"

"I am not bothered because I have a feeling that the reason for their staring might be that your pants are on backwards," Obi-wan whispered in return.

"What!" Anakin screeched, looking down hurriedly to see what his master was talking about. But his pants were on just fine. "Wait a minute…." Raising his eyes to look at Obi-wan's face, he saw that the man was barely containing a fit of laughter.

"You need to relax," he managed to say. "Who cares if people are staring? I mean, I know I am typically the voice of public decency and propriety, but you have to understand that there is no shame in what we are doing. Who cares if people are gawking at you if you know you're doing the right thing?"

Anakin opened his mouth to respond, but stopped short as they arrived at their destination. "A bathroom?" he said instead. "So not only do we have to clean, but we have to clean a _bathroom_?"

"Well, yes," said Obi-wan. "They are the dirtiest areas of the Temple after all."

Anakin sighed and stepped through the open doorway. Immediately he was struck with the awful smell of waste. The scent surrounded him – suffocated him – until he was fighting against his gag reflex and the incredible urge to run in the opposite direction. He took one look at Obi-wan, could tell that there was no way of getting out of this, and set to work without another word.

After two hours and five life-threateningly disgusting toilets, the young padawan, more exhausted than if he'd been sparring with his master, finally allowed himself to sit down on an upturned bucket. They had scrubbed the walls, mopped the floors, and sanitized everything from door knobs to toilet paper rolls. He felt like dying.

"Well, that was productive," said Obi-wan cheerfully. He turned to his padawan and received a glare of pure venom.

"My arms are practically dead, I smell like crap, the front of my pants are soaked, making it look like – " he sighed vehemently. "And you think this was _productive_?"

"The bathroom is clean," Obi-wan offered.

Anakin had had enough. He raised himself up and started toward Obi-wan with frustration and anger, determined to do something, anything, to wipe the cheerful smile from his master's face. And then he tripped.

"Force Anakin!" Obi-wan shouted as Anakin bowled him over, landing on top of him on the hard – but clean – bathroom floor. "Get off of me!"

"Okay, geez," Anakin replied, eager to comply with this order. He was in the middle of heaving himself off of Obi-wan when Master Ki-Adi-Mundi walked in the room. The tall master's wrinkles were the last thing on Anakin's mind as he took one glance at the two Jedi on the floor and the wet mark spread across the front of Anakin's pants, then walked out of the room without saying a word.

"I think," said Obi-wan, breaking the rather uncomfortable silence, "that's a little too close for me."

"I cannot believe that just happened!" Anakin moaned, burying his face in his hands. Obi-wan remained silent. "Force, what he must be thinking! First he saw us hug at the Council meeting, then he saw me _on top of you_!

"Well, you should be happy then," Obi-wan said lightly. Anakin looked at him as though he had lost his mind. "Anakin, we have a _bet_. Have you forgotten that already? While only one Jedi does not make too much of an impact on the situation, and while I will certainly prove you wrong eventually, you still got Master Ki-Adi-Mundi to think that we are more than friends."

Anakin realized that his master was right. Sure, Ki-Adi-Mundi now thought that he slept with Obi-wan. That he and Obi-wan performed acts of a sexual nature in public restrooms. That Obi-wan was some kind of perverted old man. That the only reason Anakin would get anywhere was because he crawled into his master's bed at night. Sure, he probably thought all of those things now. But what did it matter, really? If he could win the bet….

Slowly, Anakin hitched on his trademark conniving smile and looked over at his master. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he said.

"Yes, yes, good for you," said Obi-wan, patting Anakin on the back. "Although, I personally wouldn't have jumped on top of my master in the bathroom to win a bet. You must be more attached to your hair than I previously thought."

"I didn't jump on you," Anakin corrected. "I fell on you, there's a big difference!"

"Sure you did," Obi-wan said with a grin. "While you were attempting to attack me, I might add. I don't know how many times I have to tell you to control your anger."

"Well, when you stop being annoying, I'll stop being angry," Anakin mumbled under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing…."

"Well, I suppose we should get going then," Obi-wan sighed, retrieving the cleaning supplies from the floor. "We can eat some lunch and then have the rest of the day free."

"Free? Really?" Anakin asked with genuine surprise. "We don't have to train, or spar, or meditate, or – "

"No. The Council understands how much time and effort we're taking to do this. We can relax for the remainder of the day and do all of those things tomorrow. Though I'm sure a good meditation would clear your head…."

"Great," Anakin grumbled unenthusiastically, "tomorrow."

* * *

The bar that Anakin had managed to find that night throbbed with music. He had told Obi-wan – well, he wasn't actually sure what he had told his master he was going out to do. All he knew was that he was here, and that he'd had a drink in his hand every minute of the time he'd spent on his stool.

He needed time away from the Temple, away from bathrooms and away from Obi-wan. He loved being a Jedi, but sometimes he just felt so confined. He'd had enough of _that _by the age of 10. Feeling quite like he had that morning, he took another drink.

A strangely familiar figure sat down on the stool beside him and began to engage him in conversation. Anakin spoke, his words slurred and his mind hazy. The face in front of him was the last thing he saw before he passed out.


	4. Day 3

Disclaimer – Psh, not mine.

Author's note – Okay, so I finally got around to continuing it. Let me know if it's worth it, 'cause I really can't tell anymore. I just felt like writing it again. Sorry for the wait! And thanks to anyone still out there.

Closer

Day 3

It was almost mid-day and Anakin had still not returned to their quarters. Obi-wan did not even have to open the door to his padawan's room to know that he was not there. In fact, Anakin's force signature was so distant that Obi-wan felt confident in his conclusion that the boy wasn't even in the Jedi Temple. Sighing in frustration, he gently probed the bond that stretched between them.

Nothing. Confusion, muddled thoughts and strong walls, but otherwise nothing. Nothing to tell him if his apprentice was safe, no opening for communication, no insight into what Anakin was doing or how he was feeling or why he was gone. Obi-wan exhaled slowly, and struggled to release his growing panic into the Force.

* * *

The bed was soft. Foreign linens flowed around him in a gentle cascade of warm comfort, even as a dull throb began behind his closed eyelids. He knew he wasn't in his own bed. His own bed wasn't this deep, wasn't built for this much relaxation. His bed was made for a Jedi. It was simple and plain and unobtrusive. The Jedi did not allow attachments, even, it seems, to such pleasures as sleep.

Anakin burrowed his face deeper into the pillow, releasing the pain of his hangover into the Force before venturing to open his eyes. The light was dim, but it still stung as he rolled over and attempted to get the room into focus. A high ceiling stretched above him, harsh chrome stained scarlet in the light that shown through the red drapes on the windows along the walls. Ornate decorations – artifacts and artwork and tapestries – were meticulously placed throughout the room, giving it the formal appearance of a museum exhibit. Anakin examined his surroundings closely, noting that while he didn't know where he was, the place still felt oddly familiar. He wondered idly how he had gotten here. Half the night was in a haze – he couldn't remember anything past his fifth drink. There was the bar, the music … and a face. He had been talking to someone – someone he knew. If only he could remember….

He sighed, frustrated when his mind could not call forth the image of that mysterious face, and wished he knew what time it was. Obi-wan was going to kill him when he figured out that he had never returned to the Temple last night, and Anakin didn't even want to think about what his master would do if he found out why. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, intent on getting out of here as quickly as possible, when the door to the room suddenly opened. As he nearly fell off the bed in shock, Anakin reflected numbly that it was a good thing he was so talented at pulling off a cool and collected demeanor in unconventional situations. He caught himself deftly before he could hit the ground and blinked up at the figure framed in the doorway.

"Ah, Anakin, you're awake!" Chancellor Palpatine observed fondly, his long, heavy robes sweeping across the carpet as he stepped into the room. His expression became one of polite concern and he said, "How are you feeling? You had quite a lot to drink last night…."

Anakin continued to blink stupidly at the other man, lost in confusion as the weight of the situation slowly began to dawn on him. Somehow – he had no idea how but somehow – he had ended up sleeping off his drunken stupidity last night in the quarters of the Supreme Chancellor. Of all the sentient beings in the galaxy, how was it that the one he had run into in the middle of an immature meltdown was Chancellor Palpatine? More importantly, what was the Jedi Council going to do once Palpatine informed them that he had picked up one of their padawans in a bar somewhere along the lower levels of the city?

"Anakin?" the Chancellor said, bringing him out of his panicked musings.

"I – I feel fine sir," Anakin lied. "Thank you."

"Well," Palpatine began, sitting down on the bed next to Anakin, "I'm glad you are physically well at least. If our conversation last night is any indication, however, you seem to be troubled by something."

"Our, erm, our conversation last night?" said Anakin, wondering in fear what he had inadvertently let slip that would give the Chancellor any reason to think that he was 'troubled.' "What, uh, what exactly did we talk about?"

"Well, apart from you informing me that the Senate building looks like a mushroom and that red has never been one of your favorite colors," Anakin cringed, "you also mentioned something along the lines of 'I can't hug Obi-wan'"

"Oh, right," said Anakin awkwardly. "That's – that was really nothing sir. Just a little inebriated humor. Speaking of Obi-wan though, I really should be getting back to the Temple. My master will be wondering where I am…." He stood up and made for the door, but the Chancellor's next sentence stopped him in his tracks.

"I will not inform the members of the Jedi Council where you were last night," he said, "if you tell me why it is you were there."

Anakin turned around slowly, not quite believing the mess he had landed himself in. He weighed his options only briefly, gazing steadily at the deceptively innocent smile on Palpatine's face. He had always admired the man, but sometimes he did wonder about him. He walked back over to the bed, sat down and said, "Okay."

Palpatine's smile widened and Anakin was momentarily struck with the thought that, for all of the man's grandfatherly characteristics, he could probably pull off evil pretty well. "Wonderful," he said. "Go right ahead then."

Anakin thought for a moment, trying to figure out how to tell the Chancellor about his situation without really telling him. According to the guidelines that he and Obi-wan had established, he was not supposed to mention the bet to anyone. Then again, he also did not want the Council knowing where he was last night.

"Obi-wan … wants to be closer," he began tentatively. "As a team, I mean. He says we should hug more – be friendlier I guess."

"And this is a problem for you?" Palpatine asked skeptically.

"Well," said Anakin, "only the hugging part. It just seems weird to me. I get that friends hug, but I guess I'm just worried that others will get the wrong impression."

"Ah," said Palpatine shortly. "So you fear that people will see you as a flaming homosexual."

"Uh, sort of. I guess you could put it that way…."

"There is nothing wrong with being gay, Anakin," Palpatine snapped. "I happen to have a gay cousin and – "

Anakin buried his face in his hands, frustrated. "I know there's nothing wrong with being gay sir," he said. "It's just – it's Obi-wan! He's like my brother. He's my _master_. That anyone could think otherwise is just absurd."

The Chancellor nodded, seeming, at least, to understand. "That makes sense," he said. "It's only natural that you would want to protect the honest nature of your relationship from the mixed perceptions of others." He paused. "But that's not the only thing, is it? That's not the only reason you're uncomfortable with it. You are a very confident young man, Anakin. I do not believe that what other people think of you and your master would tarnish your sense of reputation for a moment."

Anakin thought about this for a minute. "I also – well – I also just don't think I'm good with the whole _human contact_ thing," he said. "Obi-wan says I'm emotionally detached, which is completely ridiculous. It's just, the only person I've ever really hugged was my mother and she's … obviously not here. It feels weird touching someone else like that. Especially a male someone."

Sighing slowly, Anakin looked up at Palpatine. He felt better, somehow, happy that he was able to tell someone about his problems and slightly surprised to see that they went beyond what he originally thought.

Palpatine nodded again, and then, with a speed Anakin would have thought nearly impossible for someone his age, he jumped up from his seat on the bed as though someone had let a fire under him. Anakin started slightly and looked at the other man questioningly.

"Then maybe," the Chancellor said, grinning broadly, "it's time to change that."

* * *

Obi-wan was, for lack of a better phrase, freaking out. Of course, Obi-wan's freak-outs were not like those of most sane beings in the galaxy. He didn't run around in a panicked state. He didn't speak any more loudly than he usually did. He didn't spout off every irrational thought that passed through his mind. In fact, Obi-wan Kenobi didn't do much of anything when worry and panic slowly spread through his veins like a virus, numbing his limbs and dulling his senses. He simply sat. And stared. Not meditatively, not peacefully. He just sat. It vaguely occurred to him that the one person who would probably be able to tell that anything was wrong at all, the one person who knew him well enough, was Anakin. But as the boy's absence was the reason for the Jedi Knight's current freak-out, this thought was about as helpful to him now as Master Yoda was in correctly orchestrating a sentence.

He tried to think, tried to go over exactly where Anakin might have gone. The last time he saw his apprentice, the younger Jedi had seemed a little off. He knew that their bet had something to do with it, knew that Anakin was having insecurities about the entire situation. He just wasn't aware of how serious those insecurities apparently were. Usually Anakin would talk to him about his problems. Or he would at least vaguely acknowledge them and then maybe slam a door or two. As Obi-wan was seemingly a major part of the problem this time, however, he doubted that his padawan wanted very much to speak with him. But who else would he go to?

And then it hit him. Obi-wan lifted his eyes from the dome-shaped head of Ki-Adi-Mundi, who was meditating on the other side of the Gardens and whom he had been staring at for the last half an hour. _Palpatine_, he thought to himself. Of _course_. Why had it not occurred to him earlier? The Chancellor had always taken a special interest in Anakin and his apprentice had recently begun to regard the man as a confidant of sorts. With one last, fleeting glance at Ki-Adi-Mundi's head – which was, as Anakin had put it, extremely weird – Obi-wan sprung up from his position on the ground and began to make his way out of the Jedi Temple.

* * *

Anakin was inwardly vowing to himself that he would never, ever drink again. Palpatine had decided that he was going to help him become more comfortable with human contact and was now showing him a labeled stick figure drawing of two people hugging. They had moved into the Chancellor's office during the search for a pen and Anakin was trying very hard not to sigh in exasperation as Palpatine pointed at the small paper on which he had drawn his illustration.

"You see," he said, "your hand can go here, wrapped around the back like so. Now, you have the advantage of being taller than Obi-wan, so you can go for a more shoulder oriented embrace. You really don't want to go lower than about here," he moved his hand to point out the lower back of one of the stick figures. "That's where you move into awkward and inappropriate territory…."

"Sir," Anakin broke in before the man had the chance to explain the intricacies of back-patting versus momentary shoulder squeezing, "I do know _how_ to hug. That's really not the problem, remember? I just have issues _actually_ hugging people."

"Ah, right," Palpatine said, pushing the paper aside without missing a beat. "We shall put it into practice then. Stand up, Anakin, stand up!"

Slowly and grudgingly, Anakin rose from the enormous chair behind Palpatine's desk and went to stand in front of the Chancellor. Palpatine gazed at him contemplatively. "Hmmm," he mused. "Maybe we should start small. You know, ease you in with subtle indications of affection. Here," he said, slowly approaching Anakin as though he were a wild animal, "I am going to touch your shoulder now. Friends sometimes do this as a sign of support or as a gesture of understanding." Anakin was barely able to refrain from rolling his eyes as the Chancellor tentatively placed a hand on his shoulder and patted it gently. "_There_ we go," said Palpatine cheerfully. "Now, how are you feeling?"

Quickly swallowing the words that first came to mind – the ones that included wanting to kill himself if only to end his misery – Anakin forced a smile and said, "Great, sir, just great. Uh, but you know, I really _should _be going. Obi-wan's probably searching the entire Temple for me and – "

"Oh no you don't," Palpatine broke in admonishingly. "You can't run away from human affection, Anakin! We're going to get you through this – no excuses."

"I'm not making excuses, sir," Anakin pleaded. "I've been gone all night – no one knows where I am!"

Palpatine sighed. "Alright," he said. "How about a compromise? We do, I don't know, two hugging exercises?"

"And then I can go?"

"And then yes, Anakin, you can go," the Chancellor said dully. "You can run away, never really learn to connect physically with another person and be doomed to a life without hugging."

"Okay, sounds like a deal," Anakin said, thinking that it would at least be worth having a life without hugging as long as it also lacked people trying to teach him how to hug.

Palpatine, in a move very unbefitting of a Chancellor, sighed once again and rolled his eyes at Anakin's complete stubbornness. "Come here, then," he said.

Anakin approached the older man, whose arms promptly enveloped him in a close embrace. The young padawan half-heartedly returned the hug and then tried to pull back. Palpatine, however, would not let him go.

"Um, Chancellor? Are – aren't you supposed to _stop_ hugging at some point?"

"Yes, Anakin," Palpatine spoke into Anakin's shoulder, "but you have to read the signals given off by the person you are hugging. You hugged me far too briefly – you didn't recognize that I was not yet done hugging you."

Deciding not to argue the point that perhaps Palpatine should have read the blatant signal given off by _him_ that he wanted to stop hugging, Anakin merely said, "Ah, my mistake sir."

Palpatine pulled back. "Well, aside from your timing, I'd say that you are a fair hugger," he said. "Though, you might want to try putting more into it. You seem … reluctant. As though you really don't want to be hugging me at all."

"I wonder how you could have gotten that idea…," Anakin muttered through gritted teeth.

"Maybe," said the Chancellor pensively, evidently missing this remark, "maybe you should try channeling all of your anger and hatred, your feelings of resentment, into the hug. Perhaps that would better direct and focus your thoughts!"

Anakin looked at the man like he was insane. "But, sir," he said, nonplussed, "isn't hugging supposed to be a sign of compassion? Of caring? Of love? I don't think directing my angry thoughts and feelings into a hug would be very beneficial. And besides, with anger you get into that whole Dark Side thing…."

"What do you mean?" Palpatine asked, looking at Anakin now with an expression of innocent curiosity.

"Well, you know, anger's on that whole list of things leading up to the Dark Side," said Anakin nonchalantly. "I think it's somewhere in between jealousy and hatred. It's really best not to touch it at all."

"I see," said Palpatine, apparently thinking this over. "I wasn't aware that such a list existed. Who constructed it – was it Yoda? I hardly think that such a daunting enemy as the Dark Side can be summarized by a list of a few unfavorable emotions…. And who's to say that they're all bad anyway?" The Chancellor seemed outright indignant now. "I mean, anger can be a perfectly useful emotion. And jealousy! Who doesn't get jealous every now and then? No, Anakin, I think this list is quite overrated."

"Er, okay sir," Anakin said hesitantly. He had no idea his comments would ignite such a fierce response from the older man. "Shall we – shall we just continue with the next hugging exercise?" he added, trying to steer the subject away from the infamous list of things that led to the Dark Side.

"Yes, well, I suppose so," said the Chancellor with a tone of distinct resentment. He approached Anakin and wrapped his arms around him once more. Anakin hugged him back, this time making sure to disguise his reluctance and wait until the Chancellor was satisfied enough with the hug to pull away.

"Ah," said Palpatine, and Anakin was relieved to find that he sounded much happier than he had just a moment ago. "There, Anakin, you see? You _can_ hug people!"

"Obi-wan," said Anakin suddenly.

"Yes, yes, I do know you need to be getting back to the Temple."

"No, _Obi-wan_," Anakin said again, almost desperately. He broke apart from Palpatine and gazed helplessly toward the doorway of the office, where his master now stood framed by two angry guards.

Palpatine looked around to see what Anakin was staring at. "Ah, Master Kenobi – " he began, but Obi-wan was already leaving.

"Master, wait!" Anakin shouted, but Obi-wan did not listen. Anakin stared after his master's departing form for a moment, paralyzed with shock. He was quite sure he had never before seen an expression like that on Obi-wan's face. It wasn't disappointment, it wasn't even anger. It was hurt.

"Er, Anakin?" said Palpatine slowly. "If I was – hypothetically of course – an evil Sith Lord, would you ever consider working with me?"

Anakin wasn't paying attention and he didn't stick around long enough to register the Chancellor's question. He ran out the door without another word, praying that he would be able to catch up with Obi-wan and explain everything to him.

"Fine," Palpatine muttered to the empty room. "But don't say I never asked."

Author's note – So it was a two year wait. Worth it, yes or no?


End file.
